BMW wants to charge a subscription fee for features that are already standard

07-09-2020, 11:52 AM

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#31

quadfecta
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Poorcel cope

Ultimate driving experience for a reason. If you’ve never done more than test drive or borrow a buddy’s bmw then you are just hating from a position of bias

BMW mogs and it’s worth the premium imo. I’d personally never get one unless it was an X5 M though srs

07-09-2020, 11:55 AM

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#32

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So let me get this straight, BMW wants me to pay a monthly fee to use the options that I ALREADY paid for when I bought the car?

Are they mad?

Lmao just lmao

Tbh it wouldn’t be hard to mod this BS out, but the idea of having to mod your car to get around BMWs greed is outrageous...

This combined with that stupid ass kidney grille on the new 4 series means everyone should be going for a c63 coupe instead of the m4.

New model of c class comes out soon.

07-09-2020, 11:55 AM

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#33

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Originally Posted By bsmit107⏩

but I thought that everybody who buys a BMW is ballin......shouldn't be bothered by a few extra subscription fees.

Bought a new M4 a few years ago. After one year they disabled the wireless so now if I want to play music from spotify or whatever I have to manually connect to USB or pay the $50 or $100 fee or whatever it costs. Refuse to pay out of principle. Ridiculous to pay for such a standard feature.

Plus, I am not wasting my time signing up for another subscription service. This is supposed to be a luxury car that in theory should have modern luxuries, not something that I have to hassle with just to get working.

07-09-2020, 11:57 AM

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#34

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So they want to streamline manufacturing by installing extra features and leave them turned off until a customer pays for them? Yeah, no.

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07-09-2020, 12:02 PM

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#35

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Originally Posted By exxtracool⏩

Tbh it wouldn’t be hard to mod this BS out, but the idea of having to mod your car to get around BMWs greed is outrageous...

might not be, depending on how they integrate

if the software requires validation checks via satellite they could just as easily shut down the whole thing because it's in an "unverified" state or some chit. same as what apple does with their products, brb replace a broken home button, device is functional but isn't firmware validated so it disables the button when you turn it on, won't work until you take it into a store, where they deny service

it's a big problem, these "always on" verifications on products that the user actually owns

07-09-2020, 12:06 PM

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#36

District
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Originally Posted By JeepBruh⏩

Bought a new M4 a few years ago. After one year they disabled the wireless so now if I want to play music from spotify or whatever I have to manually connect to USB or pay the $50 or $100 fee or whatever it costs. Refuse to pay out of principle. Ridiculous to pay for such a standard feature.

Plus, I am not wasting my time signing up for another subscription service. This is supposed to be a luxury car that in theory should have modern luxuries, not something that I have to hassle with just to get working.

You f!cking w0t m8? They disabled bluetooth music playing?

07-09-2020, 12:10 PM

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#37

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Last car was a bimmer, thing was a fuarking trash heap. Issues up the ying yang, build quality is way lower these days than 20 years ago. Went Lexus and will never go back to BMW unless I find an e30 M3.

07-09-2020, 12:18 PM

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#38

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Originally Posted By District⏩

You f!cking w0t m8? They disabled bluetooth music playing?

Apple car play. Basically control what plays through your iphone via BMW. Bluetooth still works, but it is a hassle.

The German automaker currently charges a one-time $300 to add Apple CarPlay capability to navigation-equipped BMW models. Going forward, though, navigation-equipped BMWs will come with CarPlay at no charge for one year. Following that first year, customers will need to pay an annual fee of $80 to maintain the relationship between their Apple device and their BMW's infotainment system.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...an-annual-fee/

07-09-2020, 12:21 PM

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#39

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07-09-2020, 12:22 PM

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#40

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Originally Posted By arod204⏩

Last car was a bimmer, thing was a fuarking trash heap. Issues up the ying yang, build quality is way lower these days than 20 years ago. Went Lexus and will never go back to BMW unless I find an e30 M3.

Lexus makes under performing piles of shiet though.

Brb Mercedes price brb Honda acceleration

Only saving grace of Lexus is the reliability factor.

No thanks Jeff. Also Lexus interiors look cheap and tacky compared to Audi/merc/bmw

07-09-2020, 12:22 PM

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#41

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I attended a finance conference and the keynote speaker was an SVP from BMW. For an hour, I listened to him brag about how every single BMW is designed from the ground up to extract the maximum amount of revenue from the customer in predictable intervals.

07-09-2020, 12:32 PM

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#42

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Originally Posted By ErnieMccracken⏩

I attended a finance conference and the keynote speaker was an SVP from BMW. For an hour, I listened to him brag about how every single BMW is designed from the ground up to extract the maximum amount of revenue from the customer in predictable intervals.

I believe it. Only reason I got the M4 was because of performance and it has been my dream car since I was a teenager. "Luxury" performance wise there wasn't much comparison to anything on the market at the time.

Test drove the RS5 and it just didn't feel like a drivers car, but the interior was vastly superior. Something about the automatic transmission just left a lot to be desired (live in a city with traffic so automatic is a must and dual clutch transmission on M4 is a blast).

I would never buy a standard 3 series or 4 series now though and am looking at other brands if I get another performance car again.

07-09-2020, 12:43 PM

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#43

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Originally Posted By TaeBoNinja⏩

brb car microtransacitons

Thats their end goal no doubt lulz, this chit is soo outta control. BMWs are chit anyway, good reason they depreciate like rocks and get dumped off after 4 years by everyone

07-09-2020, 01:09 PM

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#44

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Originally Posted By exxtracool⏩

Lexus makes under performing piles of shiet though.

Brb Mercedes price brb Honda acceleration

Only saving grace of Lexus is the reliability factor.

No thanks Jeff. Also Lexus interiors look cheap and tacky compared to Audi/merc/bmw

You know what the biggest difference is between a Lexus and a BMW?

The Lexus is still a good car 5 years later.

07-09-2020, 02:24 PM

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#45

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Originally Posted By exxtracool⏩

Lexus makes under performing piles of shiet though.

Brb Mercedes price brb Honda acceleration

Only saving grace of Lexus is the reliability factor.

No thanks Jeff. Also Lexus interiors look cheap and tacky compared to Audi/merc/bmw

After dropping about 4k in maintenance in a year on a BMW that had about 40k miles on it I went reliability over everything. Prefer my sports car and my daily driver to be separate beasts. It's like saying you want a girl who's a dirty whore who's also loyal. Just have a main bish and a mistress.

Loved the performance out of the 3.0 inline 6... but I also ride a cbr600rr in the summer when I wanna go fast.

Interiors not bad imo. Depends if you want to buy a reliable DD that will last a decade with reliability and low maintenance, or if you wanna pay an extra few grand every few years for the extra 40hp you get with the bimmer.

07-10-2020, 06:21 AM

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#46

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Originally Posted By AWillis⏩

Google Maps is free and it killed TomTom Sat Navs etc

what the fk can BMW charge for?

They are going next level with the fees, its not just map updates. They want to charge subscriptions to enable the hardware thats already in the car. The article used an example of a steering wheel heater. The heater is in all cars but the software wont let you use it unless you pay the fee. ultimate cucking. This goes either two ways 1. BMW pisses off their customers and the competitors mock them in ads and they back track on it or 2. people put up with it, its normalized and their competitors notice and implement the same ideas. Competitors right now are on the sidelines to see how this goes. Well besides tesla really who has implemented similar ideas.

07-10-2020, 06:28 AM

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#47

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Originally Posted By JeepBruh⏩

Apple car play. Basically control what plays through your iphone via BMW. Bluetooth still works, but it is a hassle.

The German automaker currently charges a one-time $300 to add Apple CarPlay capability to navigation-equipped BMW models. Going forward, though, navigation-equipped BMWs will come with CarPlay at no charge for one year. Following that first year, customers will need to pay an annual fee of $80 to maintain the relationship between their Apple device and their BMW's infotainment system.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...an-annual-fee/

lol at being cucked with a 80 dollar a year charge to use apple car play on your 100k 7 series for something that is free on 3 year old hyundais.

07-10-2020, 06:29 AM

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#48

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Originally Posted By JayJ350⏩

Yeah BMW's have become far too electronic. It was a development that I noticed when they started implementing i-drive into their cars about a decade or two ago. At least their cars still had a proper mechanical feel in the 00's but you could see how all the computer bullchit would get in the way and screw up the reliability. As it turns out that was a correct assumption because now those cars are notorious for expensive electronics issues.

I have always been a fan of Mercedes over them, they seem to make a better car. BMW had these elitist "ultimate driving machine" fanboys for the longest time but I think most of them are realizing how those days are in the past.

I have a BMW and like it quite a lot. It has iDrive, but isn’t one of the newer ones where you have to buy an M model for the driving experience to actually be enjoyable. I haven’t driven a newer model Mercedes, but the driving experience wasn’t even comparable last time. Many Mercedes are old people cars.

07-10-2020, 06:30 AM

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#49

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Originally Posted By FrankCostanza⏩

So they want to streamline manufacturing by installing extra features and leave them turned off until a customer pays for them? Yeah, no.

If it was a one time fee at purchase then it wouldnt be a big deal and basically up to them how they want to structure pricing, but its the fact that they want to make it an on going fee. You are basically renting your seat heaters and chit from bmw now even though you dropped big money on a car.

07-10-2020, 06:31 AM

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#50

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BMW's brand has fallen to the gutter. It's a joke at this point.

Tesla > Audi > Benz > Lexus > BMW

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07-10-2020, 06:33 AM

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#51

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You can thank cloud computing business model for this..

Companies figured out they could literally load their pockets with a never ending revenue stream and bilk you for every single feature in this financial model. I've watched it creap out of IT market and start saturating all markets because they are making so much money...In this model they literally never get their hand out of your pocket and they make it so painful to leave they basically have you as a customer for life.

Soon you will only be able to rent a vehicle with a monthly subscription and pay usage/feature fees...

07-10-2020, 06:34 AM

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#52

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Originally Posted By MyBaddBrah⏩

BMW's brand has fallen to the gutter. It's a joke at this point.

Tesla > Audi > Benz > Lexus > BMW

Tripping. Benz is at the top. Tesla doesn't know how to make cars. It's a go-kart on electric batteries, 0 quality.

07-10-2020, 06:36 AM

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#53

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I was using an app that allowed me to document my workouts. One day it turned off and asked for a $6/mo subscription. I wrote to the guy and said its too basic for a subscription. Said i would pay up to $50 to own it. He refused saying he needed subscription to continue making updates (the app didnt need updates). Had to walk away from that one.

07-10-2020, 06:38 AM

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#54

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Originally Posted By Fozzy13⏩

THey tried this with apple music and chit..they ended up reversing.

If the base price of the car is reflected in this, then it wouldnt be that bad. Telsa already does this to a degree.

Its obviously not a monthly subscription but it would allow people to pay for waht they will actually use and ideally be more affordable.

I live in the south...i dont need heated seats and idc about power seats but yet you still end up paying for them in some cars. Id be fine paying less for a vehicle and not "subscribing" to these features.

However, if the prices of vehicles will be unchanged and this is just an added charge, then yea, obviously its stupid..

Instead of a subscription service branding, BMW should have went with modular or some other term to reflect the customization of features

You think they'll install anything in a car and you won't have to pay for it? Tesla still charges you for all the "autopilot" bs, but on top of that they want you to pay an extra $8k if you wanna use it. You're a fool if you think they put all that hardware in your car and don't charge you for it until you subscribe.

What will happen is, you'll pay for the top trim, and then you'll pay for the subscription to use those features. LOL at you if you think that BMW will give you a fully equipped car for the cost of the base model, whether you can or can't use the feature is irrelevant.

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07-10-2020, 06:39 AM

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#55

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Originally Posted By Godfrd824⏩

You think they'll install anything in a car and you won't have to pay for it? Tesla still charges you for all the "autopilot" bs, but on top of that they want you to pay an extra $8k if you wanna use it. You're a fool if you think they put all that hardware in your car and don't charge you for it until you subscribe.

What will happen is, you'll pay for the top trim, and then you'll pay for the subscription to use those features. LOL at you if you think that BMW will give you a fully equipped car for the cost of the base model, whether you can or can't use the feature is irrelevant.

Hows the KIA running bro?

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07-10-2020, 06:41 AM

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#56

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Originally Posted By District⏩

Agreed.

I've never owned a BMW, currently in a 2016 MB E-Class, but I drove my friends 4 series, and it felt like a go-cart, not a luxury vehicle, at least compared to the MB.

Why not do an actual comparison and compare the E class to the 5 series? 4 series isn't supposed to be the same class of car as an E-class.

I had a C coupe previously, and it felt trash and poorly built compared to the 4 series I had, although it was a better looking car. But then i drove an E class and loved it, although the 5 series was great too, slightly less comfortable than the E class but a better drive.

They all have their own merits, i don't know why misc always has to have a cult mentality about everything where only one thing can be good, and everything else has to be trash.

07-10-2020, 06:47 AM

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#57

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Fuk that overpriced kraut chit. Just buy American

07-10-2020, 06:57 AM

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#58

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If you already own a BMW then they know how big of an idiot you are so their base isn't going to shrink.

Pretty genius way to milk their autistic drivers tbh

07-10-2020, 06:59 AM

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#59

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Originally Posted By JeepBruh⏩

Apple car play. Basically control what plays through your iphone via BMW. Bluetooth still works, but it is a hassle.

The German automaker currently charges a one-time $300 to add Apple CarPlay capability to navigation-equipped BMW models. Going forward, though, navigation-equipped BMWs will come with CarPlay at no charge for one year. Following that first year, customers will need to pay an annual fee of $80 to maintain the relationship between their Apple device and their BMW's infotainment system.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a1...an-annual-fee/

There is a big difference in original post saying they disabled wireless than apple car play.

And connecting my iPhone through bluetooth is the easiest thing in the world.